Remembering the Three Jewels Part 10 b Mipham Rinpoche´s Commentary
Summary – Zusammenfassung von Elisabeth 1 – 60
1 – 8
We concluded the section dealing with the Buddha´s qualities in a general way as a basis for the extensive explanation. Let us start now with the extensive explanation.
This has 2 parts:
1. the way he appears in the world for others´sake and how he purposefully
appears in order to benefit beings;
2. how he developed the full qualities of abandonment and realization for his
own sake.
How the Buddha appears into world for others´sake.
This section starts with the words:
“this tathagata “ and then follows “ corresponds to a cause of merits”, “his roots of virtue do not go to waste”, he is fully ornamented with all patience”, “his basis is troves of merit”, “the excellent minor signs adorn him”, and “flowers of the major marks bloom in him”, perceiving his activity, there is harmony “, and “seeing him, there is no disharmony”.
That is the first section – how the Buddha appears for others´sake.
Firstly, “This tathagata corresponds to a cause of merits”. He has this perfect form, that he appears as he appears, is because out of great compassion he has accumulated immeasurable stores of merit.
That is to say, the Buddha, through skilful means which is compassion, and wisdom of understanding the nature of emptiness, as accumulated all his merit. Therefore, his merits are never exhausted.
The Buddha has never squandered his wealth of merit, he did not use those merits to get some different result (different than reaching the buddhahood). He used it for us to see, hear and remember him.
That is why we say “His roots of virtue do not go to waste”.
Until we reach the buddhahood, such actions as paying respect, doing prostrations and so on, are never going to waste
9 – 17
It says,”He is ornamented with patience”.
We say that whoever sees the Buddha, and when ever he sees him, there will never be disharmony. Also, the perfection of his body with major and minor marks – this is the result of Buddha´s patience.
A perfection of the paramita of patience is the reason for his perfect body here.
The second quality which comes from the perfection of the paramita of patience is that he achieved the indestructible vajra-like body. Nothing is going to harm his body.
“His basis is troves of merits”. That is to say, trove here is signifying something, which will never run out. The Buddha is like a great source of merit. Tathagata has immeasurably great store of merit. If we have a pure view, devotion and faith in the Buddha, it causes us to accumulate merit as well.
That is why we call him a treasury of inexhaustible merit.
18 – 23
“The excellent minor signs adorn him and the flowers of the major marks bloom on him”. That is another result of his accumulation of merit.
Then it is said that perceiving his activity, whatever he does, it being just right, just fitting the needs and capacities of beings.
Whenever we see the Buddha act, it is always something splendid, beautiful.
The next phrase is saying,”Seeing him, there is no disharmony”. His qualitiy of separation from all the faults is having the result that whoever sees him, there will be no disharmony.
24 – 31
We will continue with the second subject: “ Having this appearance, how he acts for others´sake”.
This section has two parts: 1. The particulars of who goes before him (distinguishing
different kind of people going before the Buddha)
2. a general overview.
The first part has two parts:
1. there are two kinds of people going before him: people who are already convinced about the qualities of the Buddha, having devotion and faith in him, just wanting to see him with their pure view.
2. beings who might be doubting in him a little bit, wanting to check him whether he does or does not possess all these qualities that are mentioned. They do not believe what is said about the Buddha.
For the first kind of people Buddha brings complete joy. In the sutra it is saying: “He brings overt joy to those who long through faith”. Even to those who go to see the Buddha out of curiosity develop faith and a pure view and a joy as well.
The second kind of people who go to the Buddha with the mind which wants to argue with him, trying to overpower him, trying to debate with him, they will be completely overpowered by the Buddha. There s no one who can even stand near him. “ His prajna cannot be overpowered, his wisdom is like the sky”.
32 – 33
“His strength cannot be challenged”.
Here we talk about the Buddha´s strength – in terms of him possessing the ten strength – the strength of body, speech and mind, strength of miracles and so on. Whoever in this world, no matter how strong the person is, cannot match the Buddha´s strength in any of these aspects.
34 – 36
Explanations about Buddhas strength
37 – 45
2. The second part: “The overview” This has two parts:
1. “he is a teacher to all beings and how he acts as a teacher”.
The Buddha, without any partiality, acts for the benefit of all beings, he treats all beings in a same way, with love and compassion.
The extensive explanation, which has three lines:
1. “He is the father to the bodhisattvas”;
2. “a king to the noble persons”;
3. “a captain leading those who journey to the city of nirvana”.
1. “A father to the bodhisattvas”. A son of the Buddha is a bodhisattva, someone who belongs to a family lineage of enlightenment. In Tibetan, there is a word “gyel se” meaning “son of the victorious ones”. They are like protectors, they take care of the dharma and they are going to take care of us. That is why we call them “The ones who protect the beings to be tamed who have been left out”. Like us, who were not fortunate to meet the Buddha and still lead them to liberation.
2.” He is a king of the noble ones”. The noble persons here are such beings as arhats, such as disciples of the Buddha – Shariputra and Maudgalyayana. The Buddha commands and instructs them, saying what is allowed and what is not allowed. Following him properly, they are able to complete their journey to enlightenment.
3. “He is a captain to those who journey to the city of liberation, city of nirvana”.
He is the one who flies our plane or manages to sail our boat to liberation.
The Buddha is teaching beings on many different levels. On the highest stages of practice, the Buddha leads us all the way through.
46 – 60
“He acts as a teacher”. This has three parts:
1. the activity of his mind,
2. the activity of his speech
3. the activity of his body
The mind activity is expressed in two phrases:
1. “His wisdom is unfathomable”
2. “His knowledge is inconceivable”
1. The Buddha´s wisdom is unfathomable – there are so many different kinds of wisdoms that Buddha has. He possesses the five kinds of wisdom –
The dharmadhatu wisdom, mirror-like wisdom, wisdom of equality, discrimination wisdom and all-accomplishing wisdom.
These five wisdoms are just the reflection of the Buddha´s mind.
There is also a wisdom of scope of what is there and how things appear (ci ltar – ci ltar) and (ci ne – ci gnas). It is basically the knowledge about what is out there, what is the extent of all the knowable things; and how they appear – the nature of reality.
The Buddha´s wisdom is unequalled on both these aspects.
His knowledge is inconceivable.
He can teach any section of the dharma for immeasurable eons – he is never going to exhaust the subject.
2. “His speech is complete purity” “It is melodious, pleasing”.
His speech is complete purity, because it is devoid of all faults. Words themselves are completely clear and easy to understand.
“His melody is pleasing”: pleasing here means that it is very sweet to hear.
That is to say, the ultimate buddhahood is reached by listening to his speech.
3. “The enlightened activity of his body”. It is shown in two epithets
1. “One never has enough of viewing his body”
2. “His body is unparalleled”.
1. One never has enough of viewing his body: All the stars together with planets and the moon are nothing compared to one ray of light coming out from one pore of the Buddha´s body.
2. These qualities that we now discussed, like the rays of light, coming out from the Buddha´s body and overpowering everything in the world, outshining everything also belong to a quality of his body being unparalleled.
